Originally Posted by Admin2A detective who caused the death of a motorist when he lost control of an unmarked police car on a bend has been banned from driving for a year.

Ashley Brice denied causing death by dangerous driving

Det Con Ashley Brice, 33, from Kerry, near Newtown, Powys, was also fined £2,000 at Caernarfon Crown Court for driving without due care and attention.

He lost control of his unmarked Ford Mondeo, which collided head-on with a Vauxhall Astra driven by Gareth James.

A jury rejected a more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

During the four-day retrial the court heard that Brice, who is a surveillance officer, had tried to overtake a convoy of three cars by crossing into the oncoming lane on the A483 near Dolfor, close to Newtown, on October 10, 2005.

But as he took a sharp bend in the road - which has a 60mph (96.5kph) speed limit - Brice tried to pull back into the left lane and hit the kerb before careering into the path of Mr James, 43, from Llandegley, near Llandrindod Wells in Powys.

Fining him £2,000, and disqualifying him from driving for 12 months, Judge John Rogers QC said: "You were driving an unmarked, powerful police car.

"You had plenty of time to get to your destination, but you aggressively overtook three cars at a speed of about 80mph (129kph) when you knew there was a severe bend in the road ahead.

"You lost control and collided with the Astra causing the death of Mr James.

"Had you been convicted of the more serious charge today I would have no hesitation in sending you to jail.

"The aggravating feature in your case is that you were driving aggressively at excess speed."

Brice, who is a class one advanced police driver, had argued in court that the car's braking mechanism failed and that caused him to collide with Mr James.

He denied the manoeuvre was a "macho" display of driving and said his actions were safe, but was unable to tell the jury what speed he had been travelling.

Asked by Geraint Walters, prosecuting, why he embarked on the dangerous manoeuvre, Brice replied: "Well, I just wanted to overtake."

Robert Trevor-Jones, defending, told Judge Rogers that Dyfed-Powys Police had a "expectation" that Brice should return to driving duties following the end of the case.

Following the verdict, a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said Dyfed-Powys Police would send the IPCC their "recommendation about the disciplinary aspects of the case".

The jury found this clown not guilty of dangerous driving? That beggers belief!

He over takes three cars at an aggressive speed approaching a sharp bend on the road.....If that isnt dangerous driving i would like to know just what the hell is! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Bilko

__________________Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren't, destroying the law may be the first step toward changing it. :D

Outrageous and damn reckless if you ask me, even a member of the public wanting to just overtake 3 vehicles would have been found guilty, lost their license and handed a hefty ban!Asked by Geraint Walters, prosecuting, why he embarked on the dangerous manoeuvre, Brice replied: "Well, I just wanted to overtake."

A judge has spoken of his anger that the law prevented him jailing a boy racer who crashed his high-performance car and killed a teenage girl.

Daniel Young, 21, had been travelling at up to double the speed limit, despite one of his passengers begging him to slow down, a court heard.

But he was charged only with careless driving, which does not carry the threat of a jail sentence.

District Judge David Cooper said: "Friends and family of the victim will say how inadequate the powers I have are and I can only agree. But I can only work within the limits of those powers."

The judge then added: "Why young men are allowed to drive these highpowered vehicles beats me."

Last night campaigners said the case underlined the urgent need for restrictions on inexperienced drivers getting behind the wheel of high-speed cars at night and with young passengers.

The Daily Mail has campaigned for restrictions including raising the driving age to 18, a call supported by MPs last month.

Young's Subaru Impreza smashed into an oncoming car in December last year, fatally injuring Lauren Evans, 17, who was in the back seat.

Young was part of the boy racer scene in Colchester and had been driving round the town before picking up Lauren, a trainee hairdresser, and a friend to take them to a nightclub, the court heard. A witness at her inquest alleged that he smoked cannabis and was 'stoned' at the time.

His friend, James McKeown, told police they had been driving at up to 65mph in a 30mph zone, while Lauren's friend, Lauren Miles, said she had shouted at him to slow down.

Moments later he smashed headon into a VW Passat and Lauren - the only one not wearing a seatbelt - was fatally injured.

Judge Cooper told Colchester Magistrates Court that reading victim impact statements from Lauren's family had been "utterly heartbreaking" and told Young that the effect on his life was nothing compared to the endless misery they endured.

But, because Young's driving was judged careless rather than dangerous by prosecutors, he could not be sent to prison. A charge of causing death by dangerous driving would have carried a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment.

A new offence of "causing death by careless driving" - carrying a possible five-year prison sentence - has yet to come into effect. Steven Levy, defending, said Young was no longer part of the boy-racer scene and was now a care worker.

He said Lauren's death had had a profound effect on him.

Young, of Marks Tey, near Colchester, admitted careless driving and was given a 12-month community order including 60 hours' unpaid work and an overnight curfew. He was also banned from driving for two years and will have to re-take his driving test.

After the case Lauren's mother Jeanette said: "Lauren has been let down by the justice system. It was clearly not careless driving - it was dangerous driving. She was beautiful, bright and happy. This has ruined so many lives."

Last night Dianne Ferreira, of road safety campaign group Brake, said the judge and Lauren's family were right to be angry.

"This was a girl in the prime of her life and the sentence is scandalously low considering the devastation this crime has caused," she said.

She added that the case demonstrated the need for 'graduated' restrictions on young drivers, for example preventing them owning high-performance cars, driving at night and carrying passengers - all factors in Lauren's death.

Teen high on cocaine kills promising young City lawyer after 90mph police chase...

26-year old Natalie Forde died when the teen's car rammed in to her cab. Her driver Aden Yusuf Gure, 46, was also killed...

A teenage joyrider killed a City lawyer and a cab driver during a high-speed police chase.

Patrick O'Leary hit a taxi as he raced through red lights at up to 90mph in a stolen BMW.

Yesterday, as he was sentenced to eight years' youth custody for each of the deaths, it emerged the 17-year-old had been banned from driving three days earlier.

Trainee solicitor Natalie Forde, 26, and Aden Yusuf Gure, 46, died in the early hours of April 28 when O'Leary crashed into the cab on the North Circular in Haringey, North London.

He had five previous convictions including driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and theft.

Blood tests on the teenager, of Wembley, showed traces of cannabis and cocaine. He had been drinking 'significantly' but was under the limit at the time of the crash, according to the tests.

Wood Green Crown Court heard O'Leary had stolen the BMW 520 after a row with guests at a wedding.

Police tried to stop the car but he sped off with officers in pursuit. As he raced along the North Circular O'Leary jumped red lights and swerved across the road before smashing into the cab at a junction.

Patrick O'Leary was 17 when he accidentally rammed his car into the cab during a police chase...

Miss Forde, who was with her fiance Simon Baynes in the taxi, and Mr Gure were pronounced dead at hospital.

O'Leary admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years for each death to run concurrently. He was also sentenced to three years for causing GBH to Mr Baynes.

After the hearing Miss Forde's parents Teresa and Kevin criticised the sentence and called for an investigation into the police chase.

In a statement they said they did not feel justice had been done, adding: "We are also disappointed that the punishments for his previous crimes were clearly not a sufficient deterrent."

Every morning a familiar scene is played out in homes across Scotland. You’ve been out the night before, maybe had a skinful or simply a few drinks after work. You went to bed a little later than usual so you hit the snooze button on the alarm for a few more minutes in bed. You’re feeling a bit groggy – perhaps even nursing a full blown hangover. But you’ve got to get up, hit the road, take the kids to school, get to work. So you jump in the car.

Scenes like this mean that, every day, many law abiding drivers who would never consider drink-driving risk getting behind the wheel when they could still be over the limit. Are you one of them?

“It takes time for your body to process alcohol” says Michael McDonnell, Director of Road Safety Scotland, “and this can depend on so many different things, that it is almost impossible to make an accurate calculation about when you’ll be fit to drive again”. “For people who have had a few drinks the night before, this can mean you’re still well over the limit for a large part of the next day. If you have five pints of lager and stop drinking late in the evening then it could be early afternoon before you’re fit to drive again. Many people who would never consider risking drinking and driving home from the pub just aren’t considering the risks of being over the limit the next day”.

James*, 38 from Edinburgh, was one of those people. “Like most people I think drink-driving is totally unacceptable. The thought of putting other people’s lives at risk because of your own selfishness and stupidity appals me.”

“But last year I was convicted of drink driving. I’d been out for some drinks after work that had turned into a bit of a session. Nothing crazy, but I sank a fair few pints and didn’t get home till closing time. The next morning I had a bit of a sore head, so stayed in bed as long as possible – even if I’d have wanted to get the bus I couldn’t have because I’d have been late for work. So I got in the car as usual. Stupidly, I tried to sneak through a red light and was stopped by the police. I don’t know whether I looked hungover or what, but they breathalysed me and found I was well over the limit. I was shocked and ashamed, and am still dealing with the consequences now”.

Unfortunately James’ story is likely to become more common. A current ACPOS (Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland) campaign will see more drivers being breathalysed when stopped for something as simple as using a mobile phone, speeding, not obeying a traffic sign or not wearing a seatbelt.

Penalties for drink driving include an automatic driving ban of at least 12 months, the risk of a £5,000 fine, six months in prison and a criminal record for at least 20 years if convicted.

Many people believe that if you make sure you eat when you’re drinking, have a good breakfast and a cup of strong coffee, then you can sober yourself up. But the truth is nothing can speed up how quickly you can process alcohol. It takes as long as it takes – about an hour for one unit of alcohol.

And it’s not just the next morning you need to worry about. A man stopped recently by police in the middle of the afternoon was allegedly 5.5 times over the limit, and he swore he hadn’t had a drink that day.

Says Michael McDonnell “There’s only one way to make sure you don’t get caught – don’t risk it. If you’ve had a drink and have to go somewhere the next morning then walk or take the bus. The consequences are too serious to not to.”

A JUDGE today caged a killer learner driver for two years and warned: "Young people must realise a car is a deadly weapon."

Judge Roger Craik was sentencing Kirstyn Bell for causing the death of her best friend's boyfriend in a horror car crash.

Bell, who was then 17, lost control driving at speeds of up to 85mph after she told pals to tell her when she "hit 90".

The car struck a verge and a signpost before flying through the air, killing rear seat passenger 20-year-old Riccardo Pasquali.

Sentencing Bell, of Inchkeith, St Leonards, East Kilbride, Judge Craik told her: "You were driving your boyfriend's car and lost control, injuring yourself, two friends, and were responsible for the death of Riccardo Pasquali.

"Incidents like this are all too prevelant. Young people must realise a car can be a lethal weapon."

Outside court, Mr Pasquali's father Ivano, 57, said: "The court has recognised my son died because of her actions.

"The length of the sentence is not important. What is important is people recognise a car can be a lethal weapon and more is done to educate young people about responsible driving.

"Kirstyn Bell will be able to get on with her life when she gets out, my son has lost his life."

Bell, now 19, was also banned from driving for five years.

The High Court in Glasgow had previously heard that Bell, who had been taking driving lessons for only about four months, took the wheel of her boyfriend's new Honda Civic on Moor Road, Eaglesham, on November 28, 2005.

As she sped along she told her boyfriend Steven Leitch, best friend Zoe Wilson and her boyfriend Riccardo: "Tell me when you think I hit 90."

But seconds later she lost control and Mr Pasquali, a student at Stow College, Glasgow, was thrown from the car and killed instantly.

His girlfriend Zoe, now 19, suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken collarbone, massive cuts and bruises and a torn ligament in her left leg.

Mr Leitch suffered a broken leg and had to have his spleen removed.

Bell, who suffered minor injuries, said she had no memory of the crash.

Today, her defence counsel Graham Robertson said Bell, whose parents are teachers, had not driven since the accident.

He added: "She will live with this for the rest of her life.

"The deceased was a friend and she lives with the emotional guilt of what happened that night. Since the accident she has withdrawn from society."

Miss Wilson and Bell, who had been best friends since primary school, no longer speak to each other.

Bell was convicted after trial of causing the death of Mr Pasquali by driving dangerously and at excessive speed A police expert estimated the speed of the car at between 59mph and 85mph at the time of the crash.

Mr Pasquali snr is dedicating a website to his son's memory to help other bereaved parents deal with their pain and anguish.

"Jackie was the best wife and mother a man could have, much better than I deserved," said the 44-year-old delivery driver.

"I loved her dearly and we were looking forward to spending our lives together.

"Danielle was an angel, everybody loved her. She never hurt anybody, all she ever did was good, thinking of other people all the time.

"Me and my daughter are totally devastated, as are all our family. I just don't know how we can continue without them.

"Jackie was my wife and friend, so I have lost both in one go."

Mrs Fletcher, of Murrow, near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, worked at her parents' mushroom farm three miles away in the neighbouring village of Guyhirn.

She had visited them with her children and the family dog - a German Shepherd - and they were walking back on Monday afternoon when a silver Vauxhall Corsa drove into them.

The driver is believed to have been overtaking a blue Suzuki Grand Vitara at the time.

Mrs Fletcher and Danielle suffered multiple injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. Their dog also died.

Samantha was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, where she was treated for minor injuries and shock.

The family were walking on a straight stretch of the narrow 60mph road, which does not have a pavement. The road was dry at the time and visibility was good.

The scene of the car crash where Jacqueline Fletcher and her daughter Danielle died...

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: "Both vehicles were travelling in the same direction and approached the people from behind.

"It's not clear yet, but it seems Samantha was not struck. She may have been injured from moving out of the way. The car was certainly very close to her and it seems she survived by a very fine margin."

Residents yesterday said the road is an accident blackspot.

Cliff Edwards, a member of Fenland Council, said: "Every six weeks or so, there would be an accident.

"We have recently been to three neighbourhood policing meetings and the main topic of conversation at each has been speeding motorists."

Flowers and teddy bears were laid at the scene of the crash by family and friends.

Tina Forder, 45, who lives in Guyhirn, described Mrs Fletcher as a "fantastic mum who would be missed by everyone".

She added: "Everyone was friendly with them and Jackie doted on her children. Danielle would always run up and hug you."

Reckless driver jailed for causing unborn baby's death

Reckless: Stephen Tschuchno was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving

A reckless driver whose showing off led to the death of an unborn baby in a car crash was behind bars last night.

In a rare case, Stephen Tschuchno was sentenced to eight years for causing death by dangerous driving.

The 28-year-old raced along a country lane, swerved across the road and crashed into a tree, causing internal injuries to a rear seat passenger.

Abigail Collins, who was 33 weeks pregnant, suffered a ruptured placenta and her son had to be delivered by emergency caesarean section.

Baby Kieran, however, had suffered multiple injuries in the crash, including a broken neck, and died a few hours later.

Under the law, a driver can be held responsible for the death of an infant - causing death by dangerous driving - if the baby is delivered alive, but subsequently dies.

But a driver cannot be charged if the child is delivered dead.

York Crown Court heard how Tschuchno, who worked as a pizza delivery driver, had picked up 15-year-old Miss Collins, her boyfriend Simon Eggleshaw, 23, her sister Paige, 14, and their friend Rachael Burns, 15, in a Peugeot 306 in June last year.

They went for a drive in the car on the narrow, winding roads near their home in Otley, West Yorkshire.

But as Tschuschno began to race down the lanes, the young friends begged him to slow down. Deliberately careering around a sweeping bend on the wrong side of the road, he found himself in the path on an oncoming car.

He swerved to avoid it, but lost control of the car and hit a tree at high speed.

All the passengers suffered injuries in the crash and were taken to hospital.

Sentencing Tschuschno, who had a previous conviction for speeding, Judge Paul Hoffman said: "Your reckless attitude to the road and callous indifference to your obligation of care to your passengers and other road users has resulted in the death of a child, who at that time was still in the womb.

"You knew this road well. You knew it called for extreme care.

"You knew the dangers. But you deliberately ignored the warnings of others to slow down, and there was an element of showing off."

The court heard Tschuschno had passed his driving test only six months before the crash.

Richard Gioserano, defending, said: "He accepts he must have been speeding and shows great remorse for his actions."

Tschuchno, who had denied the charge at an earlier trial, was also banned from driving for eight years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Miss Collins's mother Fiona Collins, 41, said: "It's not enough. He will be out in four years and able to carry on with his life - yet he's ruined ours."

Car dealer Jason McAllister from Aberdeen received a fivemonth jail sentence and a four-year ban in May 2003 after clocking 156.7mph in his BMW M3.

During the five-minute plea and case management hearing yesterday, Brady was given an interim driving ban.

Mitigating, John Reilly told the court: "He is a young man who has no previous convictions. He obviously pleaded guilty to a serious offence before the court today. He has lost his job as a result of this."

Earlier this year it emerged Brady had handed in his resignation. A company spokesman said at the time: "He jumped before he was pushed."

Granting Brady conditional bail, recorder James Patrick said: "The defendant must assume that a custodial sentence is quite likely. "By releasing you on bail you must not think that I'm making any promises at all about how you will be dealt with - 172 mph is extremely fast."

Drunken driver admits killing teen in crash.

A DRUNK driver who killed a teenager in a high speed crash complained that he had damaged his car, while one of his passengers lay dead.

Michael Watt, 36, shouted at his injured passengers to be quiet after he lost control of his car and hit a tree.

Eighteen-year-old Keith Whitelaw was killed during the crash on the A947 Turriff to Banff road in Aberdeenshire in the early hours of 27 August last year.

Three other passengers - David Morrison, Stuart King and Matthew Bruce, who were aged 17 and 18 at the time - were also injured.

Watt had spent the afternoon and evening drinking at the Park Hotel bar, boasting about his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday Watt admitted causing the death of the Mr Whitelaw by driving dangerously while drunk and speeding.

Mr Whitelaw and his friends had met Watt in the car park of the Park Hotel. He told them he was the owner of the fastest car in the North-east, boasting it had a top speed of 180mph.

With the teenagers in the car Watt headed to the A947. At the Howe of Gellymill, his wheels hit the verge on a bend causing the car to spin across the road before hitting a tree and tumbling down an embankment.

"The accused shouted at the passengers to be quiet as there was nothing wrong with them, but that he was in trouble for having damaged his new car," said Advocate depute Alex Prentice.

Mr Whitelaw, who was sitting in a back seat and was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown backwards into the rear window.

Watt, of 1 Law of Doune Road, Macduff, will be sentenced on 20 September following reports.

Five-year-old drives drunk mother home.

A woman has been charged with child endangerment and public intoxication after she allegedly allowed her five-year-old son to drive her car.

When Holly Schnobrich's Mitsubishi car screeched to a halt near her home in Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday night, neighbours said they discovered her son behind the wheel.

Miss Schnobrich, 24, was sitting in the passenger seat and her younger son, aged three, was sitting unbuckled in the back. Both children were in their pyjamas.

Wendy Barrett, a neighbour on whose property the car stopped, said that when she asked: "Is this toddler driving your car?", his mother replied: "He's a good driver." Another neighbour removed the keys so Miss Schnobrich, who reportedly asked them not to call police, could not get away.

Police said neither child appeared hurt or upset but the five-year-old told an officer that he had been "having a hard time because I can't reach the pedals".

According to court papers, Miss Schnobrich told investigators she had been taking Percocet, a prescription painkiller, to soothe her nerves when the children played up. She also said she had taken 86 sleeping pills in the previous two days.

She had pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated just four days before the incident.

Miss Schnobrich's lawyer declined to comment on the new charges.

The children are being looked after by the Department of Child Services.

Insert Photos

Web address (URL)

Image URL

If your URL is correct, you'll see an image preview here. Large images may take a few minutes to appear.
Remember: Using others' images on the web without their permission may be bad manners, or worse, copyright infringement.